Top loading clothes washing machine

ABSTRACT

A top loading clothes washing machine having a spin tub with a vertical wall which is hexagonal in horizontal cross section is disclosed. Agitation and circulation of the water and clothes is effected by means of a conically-shaped impeller or agitator structure, which is oscillated by a reversible motor provided therefor. The machine is characterized by utilization of both ends of the motor shaft, one for accomplishing the oscillating motion mentioned above and the other for rotating the spin tub during the centrifuging part of the cycle. Solenoid actuated friction wheel, brake and clutch tab provide for pumping action, restraining the spin tub during washing and disconnection of the impeller drive during spin, all three of these functions being accomplished through the same solenoid and cam actuated timer contacts.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Harold F. Gorsuch Mansfield, Ohio 211 Appl No. 830,748 [221 Filed June 5, 1969 [4 Patented June 29, I971 [73] Assignee Westinghouse Electric Corporation Pittsburgh, Pa.

[54] TOP LOADING CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

{52] US. Cl 68/23.? [51] lnt.Cl 1 D06l2I/08 [50] Field ofSearch v.68/23, 23.1, 23.2, 23.3, 23.4, 23.5, 23.6, 23.7

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,745,177 1/1930 Markley 68/23 UX 2,498,420 2/1950 Hemmeter... 68/232 3,114,252 12/1963 Edwards etal. 68/231 X 3,285,419 11/1966 Smith .1

ABSTRACT: A top loading clothes washing machine having a spin tub with a vertical wall which is hexagonal in horizontal cross section is disclosed. Agitation and circulation of the water and clothes is effected by means of a conically-shaped impeller or agitator structure, which is oscillated by a reversible motor provided therefor. The machine is characterized by utilization of both ends of the motor shaft, one for accomplishing the oscillating motion mentioned above and the other for rotating the spin tub during the centrifuging part of the cycle. Solenoid actuated friction wheel, brake and clutch tab provide for pumping action, restraining the spin tub during washing and disconnection of the impeller drive during spin, all three of these functions being accomplished through the same solenoid and cam actuated timer contacts,

PATENTEU JUN29 I97! SHEET 2 OF 2 TOP LOADING CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional agitators for top loading clothes washing machines require transmissions which are expensive and quite complex. The reasons for the expensiveness and the complexity of transmissions is to produce violent wash action which is thought to be desirable from the standpoint of washing heavily soiled clothes however, such transmissions are not totally effective in removing heavy granular soils such as sand, seeds or other such things as may be encountered. This is because conventional recirculating systems utilized with current agitator systems are not effective during the water extraction part of the cycle due to the necessity of passing water through the clothes the clothes acting as a filter thereby blocking the granular soils.

Accordingly, the general object of this invention is to provide a new and improved agitator type clothes washing machine. I t

It is a more particular object of this invention to provide, in an agitator clothes washing machine, a new and improved water extraction and circulation system.

Another object of this inventionis to provide, inan agitator type washing machine, a simple and inexpensive transmission.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly, the above-cited objects are accomplished bythe provision, in a top loading washing machine having a stationary tub mounted within cabinet structure, a spin tube having a vertical wall which has a hexagonal shape in cross section. The vertical wall is joined to a bottom wall, which has a centrally disposed conically-shaped portion, by a radiused area or segment which influences upward movement of the clothes in response to the action of an agitator structure which is in the form of a conically-shaped impeller. The impeller is provided with a plurality of radially extending vanes on the top surface thereof, which vanes force the water to flow in a radial direction, there being sufficient pressure generatedto force free water up the side of the tub and to rotate in the corners of the hexagonal configuration, the water being turnedradially inward at the comers. This circulation pattern causes the clothes load to float apart, turn, and follow a bottom to top circulation pattern.

In the centrifuging part of the cycle, the clothes tend to climb up the radiused area, which terminates slightly above the uppermost point on the impeller, leaving a void for suds, and sand, etc. to escape through the apertures in the spin tub without passing through the clothes. Also, the clothes are forced into the corners of the tub above the radiused area producing better water extraction due to the compressing of the clothes that takes place thereat.

7 he transmission employed, "utilizes a reversible motor, both ends of the output shaft thereof serving to transmit motion to the spin tub and agitator shaft. Simple pulley and belt arrangements are used in conjunction with a springclutch for the agitator and a solenoid actuatedidler pulley for the spin tub.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will' become more apparent when considered in view of the drawings and detailed description of the preferred embodiment.

DETAILED oescitmrion or THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is an elevational view with portions broken away, of a top loading clothes washing machine repiesenting the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view taken along' the line II-II of FIG. I; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic line diagram representing the controls for the washing machineas shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, especially FIG. 1, reference character 10 designates generally a top loading clothes washing machine comprising cabinet structure 11 including a bottom wall or panel 12. The bottom panel is provided with adjustable feet 13 for supporting the machine 10.

The bottom panel 12 has an integrally formed dome-shaped portion 14 which cooperates with an inverted cup-shaped member 16 of a support structure generally indicated 17, to pivotally support a nonrotating tub 18 within the cabinet structure 11. The structure 17 comprises three (only one being shown) upwardly and outwardly extending braces I9 attached at their lower ends, to the inverted cup-shaped member'16 and at their upper ends to extension members 21 which, are in turn, secured to the tub 118.

A plurality of tension springs 26, only one shown, interconnecting the bottom panel 12 to the braces 19, serve to center the tub 18 within the cabinet. A threaded hook 27 is provided for connecting each of the springs 26 to its associated brace 19. The hooks 27 can be adjusted for the purposes of centering the tub.

The nonrotating tub I8 constitutes a conventional structure provided with a drain outlet 28 connected to a pump 29. The pump is actuated through a friction wheel 31 which engages a drive member 32 carried by the upper end 33 of an output shaft 34 of a reversible motor 36. Engagement between the wheel 31 and the drive member 32 is accomplished by means of a solenoid 37 upon closure of cam actuated timer contacts 38 at a predetermined point in the cycle of operation of the timer 39.

The lower end of the shaft 34, designated by reference character 41, has staked thereto, in any suitable manner, a drive pulley 42 having an annular collar 43. The pulley 42 is coupled to a driven pulley 44 by means of a drive belt 46, the pulley 44, in turn, being staked to an impeller shaft 47. The shaft 47 extends upwardly through the tub 49 and at its upper end has an integral impeller structure 48 which is disposed for operation within a rotatable tub 49. The shaft 47 is disposed within a hollow shaft or spin tube 51 which is rigidly secured to the tub 49.

Rotation of or spinning of the tub 49 is accomplished through a drive pulley 52 secured to the upper end 33 of the shaft 34, a driven pulley 53 attached to the hollow shaft 51, a drive belt 54 and an idler pulley 56. The idler pulley, it will be appreciated, serves to take up the slack in the belt 54 at such time as spinning of the tub 49 is to take place. To this end, there is provided a solenoid 57 which effects pivoting, by means not shown, of the idler pulley 56. The solenoid 57 is energized through cam actuated timer contacts 55 during the spin portion of the cycle ofoperation.

As mentioned above, the motor 36 is of the reversible type for impartingoscillatory motion to the impeller structure 48. A reversing switch system generally indicated at 58, comprises leads 59 and 60 including therein switches 61 and 62 which are alternately opened and closed to cyclically feed current through the motor 36, first in one direction, and then in the other. The shaft 34 will obviously rotate in both directions, consequently, an LGS spring clutch 63 is installed on the lower end 41 of the shaft along the collar 43 of the pulley 42. A second LGS clutch is installed on lower end of shaft 41 along collar 81 and hub of drive pulley 42. Collars 81 and 83 are securely attached to shaft 41 with through pins 82 and 83. Springclutch 63 couples shaft 41 to drive pulley 42 in one rotational direction, and spring clutch 80 couples shaft 41 with drive pulley 42 in opposite rotational direction. The clutch acts to couple the shaft 34 and the pulley 42 during the washing portion of the cycle, and a tang 64, engaged by a solenoid actuator tab 66 pivotally carried by the underside of the motor mounting plate 67, serves to uncouple the drive between the collar 43 and the pulley 42. Since oscillation of the impeller 48 is unnecessary when the pump solenoid 37 is energized, the tab 66 is actuated through the solenoid 37 at that time;

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that during the wash portion of the cycle, it is desirable to have the tub 49 remain stationary. Accordingly, a brake 68 of the friction type is associated with the hollow tube 51, serving to prevent rotational movement of the tub 49 during washing. The brake, through energization of the solenoid 37, permits movement of the tub 49 so that centrifuging may take place by virtue of the idler solenoid 57 being energized through cam actuated timer contacts 55.

A pair of cam actuated timer contacts 69 provide a circuit across the motor 36 during portions of the cycle other than washing. The establishment of a correct circuit through the motor 36 is automatically accomplished through rotation of the timer cams (not shown) by the timer motor 71, the circuit to which is established through the timer contacts 72 and a line switch 73.

The spin tub 49, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, has a hexagonal configuration in horizontal cross section. Wall segments 49 comprising the periphery of the tub are provided with apertures (not shown) through which water is passed during operation of the machine. The tub 49 has a bottom wall 76 which is integral with the wall segments 49, there being an annular radiused area 77 between the former and the latter. The top of the radius 77 is above the top of the impeller structure 48 which structure comprises a conically-shaped disc 78 having radially extending vanes 79. The impeller or agitator structure 48 is superimposed on a conically-shaped portion of the bottom wall 76.

Since numerous changes may be made in the above described apparatus and different embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. In a top loading clothes washing machine,

a cabinet structure,

a nonrotatable tub supported in said cabinet structure,

a spin tub disposed within said nonrotatable tub,

an agitator structure disposed Within said spin tub,

said agitator being so constructed as to effect a bottom-t0- top circulation pattern of the clothes in water,

said spin tub comprising an annular wall the cross section of which perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof is polygonal.

2. Structure as specified in claim 1 wherein,

said agitator structure comprises a conically-shaped body portion having vanes thereon.

3. Structure as specified in claim 2 wherein,

said tub comprises a bottom wall having a conically-shaped central portion subjacent said agitator,

said tub further comprises a radiused area joining said bottom wall and said annular wall, said radiused area extending above the highest point of said agitator.

4. Structure as specified in claim 3 wherein, said cross section is hexagonal.

5. A top loading clothes washing machine, said machine comprising:

cabinet structure,

a nonrotatable tub supported in said cabinet structure,

a spin tub in said nonrotatable tub,

agitator structure in said spin tub,

a motor and support therefor in said cabinet structure,

means interconnecting one end of the output shaft of said motor and said agitator structure,

means interconnecting the opposite end of the output shaft of said motor and said spin tub,

means for rendering inoperative said means interconnecting one end of said output shaft while said means connecting said opposite end is operative,

means for rendering said means interconnecting said opposite end of the output shaft inoperative when said means interconnecting said one end of the output shaft of said motor is operative, and said spin tub having a polygonal shape in horizontal cross section. 

1. In a top loading clothes washing machine, a cabinet structure, a nonrotatable tub supported in said cabinet structure, a spin tub disposed within said nonrotatable tub, an agitator structure disposed within said spin tub, said agitator being so constructed as to effect a bottom-to-top circulation pattern of the clothes in water, said spin tub comprising an annular wall the cross section of which perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof is polygonal.
 2. Structure as specified in claim 1 wherein, said agitator structure comprises a conically-shaped body portion having vanes thereon.
 3. Structure as specified in claim 2 wherein, said tub comprises a bottom wall having a conically-shaped central portion subjacent said agitator, said tub further comprises a radiused area joining said bottom wall and said annular wall, said radiused area extending above the highEst point of said agitator.
 4. Structure as specified in claim 3 wherein, said cross section is hexagonal.
 5. A top loading clothes washing machine, said machine comprising: cabinet structure, a nonrotatable tub supported in said cabinet structure, a spin tub in said nonrotatable tub, agitator structure in said spin tub, a motor and support therefor in said cabinet structure, means interconnecting one end of the output shaft of said motor and said agitator structure, means interconnecting the opposite end of the output shaft of said motor and said spin tub, means for rendering inoperative said means interconnecting one end of said output shaft while said means connecting said opposite end is operative, means for rendering said means interconnecting said opposite end of the output shaft inoperative when said means interconnecting said one end of the output shaft of said motor is operative, and said spin tub having a polygonal shape in horizontal cross section. 